The invention relates to removing a liquid or condensate produced by equipment during operation.
A common effect produced by air handling and air cooling equipment such as air conditioners and refrigeration systems is the formation of a liquid or condensate, typically water, on surfaces of the equipment and from the equipment during its operation. Methods to dispose of water condensate include allowing the condensate to drip or drain from the equipment to an area external to the equipment. Condensate freely flowing from air handling or cooling equipment, however, can cause unsightly staining and puddling on surfaces of the equipment and in areas surrounding the equipment. Condensate puddling is a source of undesirable biological growth of microbes that live naturally in moist environments such as molds, fungi, viruses and bacteria including Legionella bacteria that contaminate air and cause Legionnaires"" disease in humans when inhaled. Also, other microbes naturally growing in standing water condensate release unpleasant odors to the atmosphere.
Other methods to handle and/or to dispose of water condensate include systems associated and/or integrated with air handling or cooling equipment that capture and collect the condensate for disposal, e.g., via floor drain and/or pump systems configured and arranged to connect to waste systems or sewers that service the premises at which the equipment is located. In addition, other condensate collection and disposal systems associated and/or coupled with air handling or cooling equipment retrieve and recirculate water condensate to the equipment to help cool one or more components of the equipment, e.g., a condensing heat exchanger that is cooled by condensate recirculated to the exchanger.
An object of the invention is to provide a condensate removal system for removing a liquid or condensate produced by equipment during operation by inducing the liquid or condensate to flow from the system as liquid or condensate droplets and/or vapor.
In one aspect, the invention provides a condensate removal system for use with equipment that produces condensate during operation, the system comprising a trough, the trough including a movable lid and defining a chamber and a first port, the first port configured to provide fluid communication between the chamber and an area external to the trough, the trough further providing an exhaust port, the exhaust port being configured to provide fluid communication between the chamber and an area external to the trough; a fan connected to the trough and aligned with and coupled to the first port such that the fan is in fluid communication with the chamber, the fan being configured to draw and to receive air from an area external to the trough and being further configured to force drawn-in air into the chamber such that air within the chamber is induced to flow from the chamber through the exhaust port to an area external to the trough; an inlet connected to the trough, the inlet configured to receive the condensate from the equipment and to provide the condensate into the chamber, the inlet being further disposed and configured to operatively couple to one of the equipment and a collection device associated with the equipment; and at least one ultrasonic transducer coupled to the trough to provide ultrasonic vibration to condensate contained in the trough. The equipment can include an air conditioning system and the condensate removal system can be disposed and operatively coupled to a hot side of the air conditioning system. The collection device associated with the equipment can include a condensate collection device associated with an air conditioning system, and the condensate removal system can be disposed and operatively coupled to the condensate collection device at a hot side of the air conditioning system.
The system further comprises multiple power inputs and a circuitry module electrically coupling the power inputs to the fan and the ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic transducer is aligned with and coupled to a second port defined by a bottom of the trough, the second port configured such that the ultrasonic transducer is in fluid communication with the chamber, the ultrasonic transducer further configured to operate in an ultrasonic frequency range.
The system can further comprise a second ultrasonic transducer coupled to the trough to provide ultrasonic vibration to condensate contained in the trough. The second ultrasonic transducer is aligned with and coupled to a third port defined by the bottom of the trough, the third port configured such that the second ultrasonic transducer is in fluid communication with the chamber, the second ultrasonic transducer further configured to operate in an ultrasonic frequency range.
The trough is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a plastic and a combination thereof. The material can include a plastic containing an antimicrobial agent. The system can be operatively coupled to one of: (i) cooling equipment, (ii) an air conditioning system; (iii) an air cooling system, (iv) a refrigeration system, (v) a heat pump, and (vi) a heat pump system.
In another aspect, the invention provides a condensate removal system for use with equipment that produces condensate during operation, the system comprising a housing, the housing defining a chamber and a first port, the first port configured to provide fluid communication between the chamber and an area external to the housing; an inlet connected to the housing, the inlet configured to receive the condensate from the equipment and to provide the condensate into the chamber, the inlet further disposed and configured to operatively couple to one of the equipment and a collection device associated with the equipment; and a nozzle connected to the housing and being configured such that a side of the nozzle couples to the first port and the nozzle is in fluid communication with the chamber, the nozzle comprising a tapered portion, the tapered portion being disposed and configured to induce air to flow through the tapered portion and across an area defined by the first port and being further configured such that when air flows through the tapered portion, the air increases velocity and decreases in pressure and draws air within the chamber from the chamber into the tapered portion.
The tapered portion is further configured such that the air flowing through the tapered portion induces the chamber air to flow through the tapered portion away from the housing. The tapered portion can be further configured and arranged such that the air flows across the area defined by the first port in a substantially perpendicular orientation to a direction in which the chamber air flows through the first port.
The system can further comprise an ultrasonic transducer coupled to the housing to provide ultrasonic vibration to condensate contained in the chamber. The ultrasonic transducer is aligned with and coupled to a second port defined by a bottom of the housing, the second port configured such that the ultrasonic transducer is in fluid communication with the chamber. The second ultrasonic transducer is aligned with and coupled to a third port defined by the bottom of the trough, the third port configured such that the second ultrasonic transducer is in fluid communication with the chamber. The system can further comprise multiple power inputs and a circuitry module electrically coupling the power inputs to the ultrasonic transducer.
The housing is constructed of a material containing an antimicrobial agent. The system can be operatively coupled to one of: (i) cooling equipment, (ii) a gas conditioning system, (iii) a gas cooling system, (iv) a refrigeration system, (v) a heat pump, and (vi) a heat pump system.
In a further aspect of the invention an conditioning system is provided comprising an inlet that draws air into the system; a cooling assembly to cool the air brought through the inlet into the system; an exhaust assembly to vent cool air from the system; and a condensate removal system coupled to the system including a housing defining a chamber and an inlet, the inlet configured to receive condensate produced by the system and to provide the condensate into the chamber; and means for inducing the condensate to flow from the chamber as one of droplets and vapor wherein the condensate removal system is disposed and operatively coupled to the air conditioning system at an exhaust side of the air conditioning system. The condensate removal system can be operatively coupled to a condensing heat exchanger disposed at and operatively connected to a hot side of the air conditioning system. The means for inducing the condensate to flow from the chamber as one of droplets and vapor includes an ultrasonic transducer coupled to the housing to provide ultrasonic vibration to the condensate contained in the chamber. The system can further comprise multiple power inputs and a circuitry module electrically coupling the power inputs to the air conditioning system and the ultrasonic transducer.
In one embodiment, the means for inducing the condensate to flow from the chamber as one of droplets and vapor can further include a fan coupled to the housing such that the fan is in fluid communication with the chamber, the fan being configured to draw and to receive air from an area external to the housing and to force a radially outward flow of air into the chamber such that air within the chamber and the droplets and the vapor are induced to flow from the chamber through an exhaust port provided by the housing to an area external to the housing.
In another embodiment, the means for inducing the condensate to flow from the chamber as one of droplets and vapor can further include a nozzle coupled to the housing such that the nozzle is in fluid communication with the chamber, the nozzle comprising a tapered portion, the tapered portion being disposed and configured such that when air flows through the tapered portion, the air increases velocity and decreases in pressure and draws the droplets and the vapor from the chamber into the tapered portion.
The tapered portion is further configured such that the air flowing through the tapered portion induces the droplets and the vapor to flow through the tapered portion away from the housing.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of removing a condensate produced by equipment during operation of the equipment, the method comprising inducing a flow of the condensate into a chamber through an inlet in the chamber; inducing the condensate to form into at least one of droplets and vapor; and exhausting the droplets and the vapor from the chamber to an area external to the chamber. Inducing the condensate to form into at least one of droplets and vapor includes vibrating the condensate within an ultrasonic frequency range. Exhausting the droplets and the vapor from the chamber includes forcing air to flow into the chamber such that the air flow induces air within the chamber and the droplets and the vapor to flow through an exhaust port provided by a wall of the chamber to an area external to the chamber.
Various aspects of the invention may provide one or more of the following advantages Liquids or condensates, e.g., water, produced during operation of equipment, e.g., air conditioning units and refrigeration and water-cooling systems, can be contained and removed from the equipment and/or areas external to the equipment, e.g., to help prevent dripping and puddling of water and to help prevent staining caused by dripping and/or standing water. Moisture and humidity can be reduced on surfaces of equipment and/or in areas external and proximate to and/or surrounding the equipment that promote the biological growth of disease-causing and/or odor-producing microbes. Reliability of cooling equipment, e.g., air conditioning units and refrigeration and water-cooling systems, can be increased. Existing cooling equipment can be retrofitted to provide drier, cleaner, healthier and odorless operation of the equipment. A self-contained condensate removal system with few moving and electrical parts can be provided to new or existing cooling equipment, and can substantially minimally disturb air around the system and/or the equipment. The formation of condensation on external surfaces of the system can be inhibited. Liquids and condensates can be vibrated to induce the liquids and condensates to form into manageable small droplets and/or vapors. Hot and/or warm air can be provided directly to liquid and condensate droplets and vapors to mix the droplets and vapors with the hot and/or warm air. Droplets and vapors can be influenced to evaporate.